A Boerne police officer is on administrative leave and facing a criminal charge in the shooting of a neighbor's cat with an arrow Wednesday while he was off-duty.

Lance Deleon, a 41/2-year member of the force, was charged with animal cruelty, a state jail felony, and held at Kendall County Jail before being released on $2,000 bond late Wednesday, Police Chief Jim Kohler said.

“We completed an on-site investigation and felt that enough of the elements of the offense were met to make an arrest,” Kohler said Thursday.

The cat received medical treatment and was in recovery Thursday morning from the wound, which was inflicted with a crossbow, Kohler said.

He declined to discuss details of the incident due to the ongoing administrative and criminal probes, but pledged to conduct “a complete and thorough investigation.”

Reached Thursday, Deleon said departmental policy prohibits him from commenting on the incident, which occurred on Lilly Creek Street about 6 p.m. Wednesday.